by JD Vance. Anyone else read it? I'm a few chapters in, decent thus far. Being raised a "poor" in eastern ky I figured I better check it out
Hillbilly Elegy...
- Thread starter BlueBleedingMarine
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As someone who has lived my adult life in Washington DC among people from the east coast corridor, while always embracing my Kentucky roots, I've had about 15 people insist I read the book, because, 'I'll bet the writer's story is a lot like yours.' So, I'm not reading it as a matter of principle, proving, I guess, that I am a hillbilly.
Had someone recommend this book. I may give it a read.
Prolly won't, but i at least considered it.
Prolly won't, but i at least considered it.
I bought it and haven't (and probably won't) read it. But it makes me look slightly smarter on display in my bookshelf!
I read it and all I can say is he has one bada$$ family. they're like the Beverly Hillbillys on steroids.
If I'm not mistaken he was raised in Southern Ohio but his family had roots to Eastern Kentucky. It's hilarious how some people go hook line and sinker for stereotypes. The lose of coal jobs in the last 8 years has hurt the area but before those job loses it was pretty similar to most very rural areas in America.
that's correct, his mother was married about a zillion times and was a bit of a basket case, and he was raised mostly by his grandmother.
I'm surprised you made a life you can stand anywhere in the BosWash corrider. Hate anywhere east of the Allegheny Mtns. Philly was an emotionally constipated ********. Boston? People suck. NYC...dirty and crowded. Eff em all, dirty bastards
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I haven't read it. It could be bad.
And it could be good. We really have no way of knowing at this point.
Just have to live life on the edge and read the book.
Let us know how it went.
And it could be good. We really have no way of knowing at this point.
Just have to live life on the edge and read the book.
Let us know how it went.
The reviews I have read are basically telling em that it is a book explaining to coastal elites how us heartlanders aren't stupid, we're just ignorant. Basically telling them to forgive us, we know not what we do.
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I'd say that's about on par with how the northeast libs think of anyone from these states. These dicks think they're superior and have no idea about anything that didn't originate from a stereotype they saw on television.
I'd say perhaps a little more sympathetic but just a tad less arrogant.
Yes. Amazing book. Just an interesting FYI, Dr. Proctor's South Shore mansion was bought by a drug rehab center and is being used as a residential treatment facility.
I heard about it when it came out and was excited to read it. At least I was until I found out the author never lived in Eastern KY but was a just a child/grandchild of native Eastern Kentuckians.
I met the author Sat night...he was guest speaker at Butler County Oh GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. Several people had previously recommended his book.
Don't know the book. But I work in the substance abuse field...have been to that house to check it out.
Good....I'm actually counting on the left to stay in their echo chamber cocoon...oblivious to anything but liberal groupthink handlers alt-reality.
Shoot. Responded to the wrong post. I meant to respond to the one that said he never lived in Eastern Kentucky.
I have no interest in reading someone's take that didn't experience it firsthand.
Vance was born in Jackson, Ky which I believe is Brethitt county and the family moved to Middletown Ohio when he was just a child. But if you read the book you will see that the hillbilly culture moved with them.
Just finished it this past weekend. I highly recommend. I am from Georgetown, KY which isn't exactly a holler, but thought it brought attention to the white "working" class and their struggles in small town USA.
D is correct that he didn't live the majority of his childhood in KY, his Grandparents basically raised him with an Eastern KY hillbilly style. He speaks of the late 70's migration from KY to Southern Ohio so that people could get a better job and a better life. Much of his extended family still lived in Jackson which he frequently visited.
It it almost a motivational book for people in poverty to take control and get out. Where ever out may be.
I did find it interesting about his relationship with his wife who wasn't raised in a holler.
Not really. More of an explanation of how we came to be in a sense. Read it, he says plenty of times that poor whites came from the big cities and settled in Appalachia because that's where they could afford land and housing while getting away from everyone else(which is what they wanted in the first place). They aren't "ignorant" they just grow up in an environment that in all aspects was not conducive to a productive life. And they weren't. Were they educated or smart? Not really and that's part of the point. You grow up in that atmosphere and you're likely to be like everyone else. It takes a lot of struggle to get out of that.
Hell, I remember Keith Horn telling me the fact I made A's meant I was a *****. I didn;t give a **** because I thought he was a loser. But if you never went through that yourself, hold your judgement please.
He lived in KY plenty, bub. And came back regularly and even said he felt most at home there, in Jackson. So read it and then give an opinion please.
It's a very good book. Nothing most people from KY don't already know about eastern KY but it's a hard look at it and something to think about. Most of us central Kentuckians overlook it because we had better raisings. But we're all apart of the same bunch as far as anyone outside of the South cares.
Maybe read into your own State and see why Eastern KY gets the grief it does,
It's like one of my brothers, he thinks he was never prepared for college and you know what, he's probably right. But we all did fine and we had it WAY better than others, So, as I say to him, What's your point?
Don't get your panties in a bunch. The info I saw said he grew up in Ohio and never lived in Eastern KY. And trust me I know all about the hardships of growing up in Eastern KY.
Shittin me?
Man I would love to write a book about Ohio but I'm a stupid hillbilly. F them. So sick of their crap.
I just got transferred to Wilmington, DE. Thanks for the bode of confidence. I'm going to go draw a bath and put on some toast.
DuPont?
At least you can swing down 13 to "s"lower Delaware. Enjoy WaWa
Stay away from N Broad St
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CSX Transportation. Defending cases in lovely Philly where fraud is apparently legal.
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No clue what that is. But yes, I'm trying to get a townhome downtown. Just hope I don't get fired in the meantime. I could get doxxed at this point.
I love all you guys and agree with everything you say.
I love all you guys and agree with everything you say.